The pistol joins a Ruger LCR wheelgun, an AR-style 300 Whisper from SSK Industries, a 12-gauge autoloading shotgun from Legacy Sports International, and a laser/light combo accessory from Crimson Trace as the magazine’s “Best in Class” 2011 honorees.

Every December, Gun Tests’ Editor Todd Woodard surveys the work of the magazine’s staff over the previous 12 months to select around 15 Guns of the Year (GOTY) choices. From those GOTY pistols, revolvers, rifles, shotguns, and accessories, the staff chooses the magazine’s “Best in Class” winners.

The exact test model was the Kel-Tec PMR-30 No. 408320267 22 WMR, originally reviewed in the November 2011 issue of Gun Tests.

Woodard said, “The PMR-30 is a great semiauto for those who desire low recoil but plenty of capacity. The pistol holds 30 rounds of 22 Winchester Magnum Rimfire cartridges in the magazine.”

The slide and barrel are made of 4140 steel housed in a 7075 aluminum frame. The grip, slide cover, trigger, mag release, and safety levers are glass-reinforced Zytel nylon, much like other Kel-Tec pistols.

Woodard said, “We tested ten 22 WMR samples in the Kel-Tec for function and reliability and encountered no problems with any of the 10 brands. In a Handgun Bullet Test Tube, a Remington PSP cartridge punched 15 inches deep in overall penetration and created a 60-ml wound channel. That’s a lot of punch for a tiny cartridge.”